[Originally posted 8 February 2022 on the main Fun and Games.org site and moved to this EVE subsite February 2023]
This might become part of a series of posts about my personal experiences with EVE Online, but aimed at others who are perhaps wary and hesitant about taking part in multiplayer games online or MMO (massive multiplayer online game). So, if what I write strikes a chord with you, let me know in the comments.
A bit of background. I’m a parent who grew up in the days when the desktop computer didn’t exist. I am not averse the playing computer games, I just generally do not have much time to play them. I also have found that low graphics quality (rendering) in games where you move/run around makes me feel dizzy and ill very quickly. So I have to avoid games like Minecraft and Roblox which are popular in my family. The same happens on the odd occasion I’ve had the opportunity to try virtual reality headsets. Something about the graphics and or the lag between graphic and my movement. By contrast, the graphics quality in EVE Online is unbelievably detailed and perhaps one reason I get on with it. All the images included in this post are my own screen grabs and perhaps the odd video, but any promotional videos you come across are actual footage.
I also prefer tactical games that have some complexity. I guess EVE appealed to me once I started exploring what it was about even before creating an account because part of its selling point is the vast variety of roles you can explore, try out and take on.
So what is EVE Online? EVE Online is space exploration, commerce, industry, combat and/or piracy amongst some of the more common roles you choose to take and as it turns out easily swap between if wished (with some limitations). All players take the role of a capsuleer with the ability to pilot and control spacecraft of varying sizes and complexity. I got drawn into it just from the richness of the graphics and fascination to see what it’s all about. Suffice to say I’m currently hooked…. It’s also free to play (not even a credit card required) and that had a lot to do with me bothering to try it. You can also totally play it for free, no trial or time limits. There is a paid-for Omega account if you want which gives access to better spacecraft and equipment as well as few other things.
It is also one really massive, and I mean MASSIVE, multiplayer game. I’ve noted that whenever I play it there can be anywhere between 17,000 to well over 27,000 other players also playing it. However, don’t let that put you off if you are worried about seasoned players taking advantage of you. It’s literally a VAST space and you can run a mission or activity and not bump into anybody be it another player or NPC (non-player character) except at your home base or close to the jump gates between systems. EVE Online aficionados will probably be frothing at this point desperate to point out there are other ways to get around systems, etc, such as wormholes, filaments, capital spacecraft with their own jump drives, etc… and so many other things to talk about – and there are – but I’m getting ahead of my journey. However, as you gather this is a game with complexity within complexity and I’m kinda loving that side of things. There’s plenty of fan pages and a whole wiki site (https://wiki.eveuniversity.org/Main_Page) dedicated to EVE Online which attests to its following and when you get into the game I certainly found using these for reference very useful.
EVE Online is also big enough to have arranged an official tie in with the BBC’s Dr Who franchise and certain Dr Who characters appearing as part of special missions, etc for a special limited time.
